Graph Paper

Graph Paper

Posted by Heather Harris

The Project has begun. You could say it really started in June with the frantic plunking of eight tomato plants into a solitary raised bed. Or maybe the hurried toss of a few dahlia tubers by the deck late in the spring. But no... I think the project really began today. For today I took out the graph paper.

I NEVER take out graph paper. It runs completely contrary to my willy-nilly nature. My husband, weirdly, has graph paper as his notepad. Can you imagine?! All of those serious little boxes staring at you while you're trying to daydream, doodle, or deliberate? The only reason I even own any is because I thought I might take up cross stitch as a means to improve my undeveloped attention to detail. I don't think it worked.

However, as I tromped out into our soggy field to measure the perimeter of the new vegetable garden (I use the term "measure" loosely, since I am also adverse to precision with a tape measure)  I came to several sobering conclusions:

1. This yard is freaking huge.

2. My vegetable garden will have more square feet than my first house.

3. Greg (my husband) is going to kill me when he sees how many tons of gravel and dirt he is going  to be shoveling.

4. This is only Phase 1 of 3,678 phases to complete the garden of my dreams.

5. This "Project" is going to take 20 years and 5 million dollars.

And

6. I'm going to need graph paper.

And thus, The Project has begun...